Stefhon Hannah

NBA Teams Designate Affiliate Players

NBA teams cut as much as 25% of their rosters at the end of the preseason, but franchises that have D-League affiliates have a way to maintain ties to many of the players they release from the NBA roster. An NBA team can claim the D-League rights to up to four of the players it waives, as long as the players clear waivers, consent to join the D-League, and don’t already have their D-League rights owned by another team. These are known as affiliate players, as our Hoops Rumors Glossary entry details.

NBA teams allocated 46 affiliate players to the D-League at the beginning of the season last year, and this year, that number has risen to 56, according to the list the D-League announced today. These players are going directly to the D-League affiliate of the NBA team that cut them and weren’t eligible for the D-League draft that took place Saturday. Teams that designated fewer than the maximum four affiliate players retain the ability to snag the D-League rights of players they waive during the regular season, but for now, this is the complete list:

Boston Celtics (Maine Red Claws)

Cleveland Cavaliers (Canton Charge)

Dallas Mavericks (Texas Legends)

Detroit Pistons (Grand Rapids Drive)

Golden State Warriors (Santa Cruz Warriors)

Houston Rockets (Rio Grande Valley Vipers)

Indiana Pacers (Fort Wayne Mad Ants)

Los Angeles Lakers (Los Angeles D-Fenders)

Memphis Grizzlies (Iowa Energy)

Miami Heat (Sioux Falls Skyforce)

New York Knicks (Westchester Knicks)

Oklahoma City Thunder (Oklahoma City Blue)

Orlando Magic (Erie BayHawks)

Philadelphia 76ers (Delaware 87ers)

Phoenix Suns (Bakersfield Jam)

Sacramento Kings (Reno Bighorns)

San Antonio Spurs (Austin Spurs)

Toronto Raptors (Raptors 905)

Utah Jazz (Idaho Stampede)

Also, several players who were on NBA preseason rosters are on D-League rosters through means other than the affiliate player rule. Most of them played under D-League contracts at some point within the last two years, meaning their D-League teams have returning player rights to them. Others entered through last weekend’s D-League draft, while others saw their D-League rights conveyed via trade. Most of these players aren’t with the D-League affiliate of the NBA team they were with last month, with a few exceptions.

Roster information from Adam Johnson of D-League Digest, Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor and freelancer and Hoops Rumors contributor Mark Porcaro was used in the creation of this post.

Bulls Waive Jake Anderson, Stefhon Hannah

The Bulls have waived point guards Jake Anderson and Stefhon Hannah, the team announced via a press release. Both players were in camp on non-guaranteed deals, so Chicago won’t be on the hook for any funds as a result of these moves. The Bulls’ roster count now stands at 17 players, including 13 with full guarantees.

Anderson, 28, began his professional career in the NBA D-League after going undrafted back in 2009. He spent 2014/15 with the Gateway Steam for the inaugural season of the Midwest Professional Basketball Association. In 21 games for the Steam Anderson averaged 16.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.

The 6’1″ Hannah averaged 5.9 points, 2.1 assists and 2.0 turnovers per game in 22 D-League appearances last season, when he split time between the affiliates of the Kings and the Pistons. The 30-year-old had won back-to-back D-League Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2012 and 2013.

Bulls Sign Stefhon Hannah

The Bulls have signed former University of Missouri point guard Stefhon Hannah, the team announced. He played in the D-League this past season and was with the Warriors for training camp in 2012. Chicago only had 18 players, two under the preseason roster limit, so a corresponding move isn’t necessary. The terms of Hannah’s deal aren’t immediately clear, but most signees at this time of year receive minimum-salary deals with little or no guaranteed money.

Hannah, 30, will give the Bulls some depth at the point while Derrick Rose recovers from his fractured orbital bone, which the team says should keep the former MVP from basketball activities for two weeks. The 6’1″ Hannah averaged 5.9 points, 2.1 assists and 2.0 turnovers per game in 22 D-League appearances last season, when he split time between the affiliates of the Kings and the Pistons. The Pedro Power client’s strength is on the defensive side of the ball, as he won back-to-back D-League Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2012 and 2013.

The Bulls have Aaron Brooks, Kirk Hinrich, E’Twaun Moore and fellow camp invitees Jordan Crawford and Jake Anderson available to play point guard in Rose’s stead, though Hinrich, Moore and Crawford also play on the wing, which perhaps created the team’s desire to add Hannah. Chicago has 13 players with fully guaranteed contracts, plus a 50% partial guarantee to Cameron Bairstow, and with the team’s history of carrying fewer than 15 players on opening night, Hannah’s odds of sticking for the regular season appear low.

Odds & Ends: Sixers, West, Gordon, Jamison

Trail Blazers assistant David Vanterpool appears to have become the leading candidate in the Sixers head coaching search, according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. Most reports have cited Brett Brown and Michael Curry as the front-runners, but it seems there are still several hopefuls who could emerge with the job. We passed along news from Washburn earlier today on the continuing possibility of a Rajon Rondo trade to the Pistons, and here's more from the Globe scribe as we round up the morning's news from around the NBA:

  • The Knicks and Grizzlies have reportedly been in talks with Delonte West, but the Knicks appear to be out, and according to Washburn, no team has shown serious interest.
  • The additions of Jrue Holiday and Tyreke Evans make for a crowded backcourt in New Orleans, but Eric Gordon is glad to have his new Pelicans teammates, he tells Washburn.
  • Clippers boss Doc Rivers didn't make an offer to Antawn Jamison when they met for dinner last night, but the Clippers and Jamison's reps plan to talk soon, reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
  • The Hawks waived DeShawn Stevenson on Friday, and in the likely event that he clears waivers and hits free agency, he'd like to sign with the Heat, according to a pair ofdispatches from his Twitter account.
  • Shelvin Mack appears in a tenuous position with the Hawks, since his contract is non-guaranteed and he plays the same position as Jeff Teague and first-round pick Dennis Schröder. If the Hawks waive Mack, he'll be the primary point guard target for Olimpia Milano of Italy, Enea Trapani of Sportando reports.
  • Elston Turner has reached an agreement to become an assistant coach for the Grizzlies, a source tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. The defensively minded Turner also spoke about joining the Timberwolves staff.
  • Stefhon Hannah has signed to play with Juve Caserta in Italy, the team announced (translation via Sportando's Emiliano Carchia). Hannah worked out for the Knicks this summer, and spent two weeks last fall in training camp with the Warriors.

New York Notes: Childress, Morris, Hannah

The Nets have stolen New York's backpage headlines from the Knicks, observes Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News, who believes that if Carmelo Anthony flees for the Lakers next summer, it wouldn't be the worst possible outcome for the Madison Square Garden faithful. While baseball decamps from New York following last night's All-Star Game, here's a look at the city's basketball beat:

Warriors Waive Stefhon Hannah

The Warriors announced that they have waived guard Stefhon Hannah.  The 27-year-old was signed as a free agent on October 1st and did not see playing time in any of the team's three preseason games since then.

The 27-year-old was a standout at the University of Missouri where he shined as an offense-oriented point guard.  Hannah spent last season with the Dakota Wizards of the D-League – controlled by the Warriors and now located in Santa Cruz – and averaged 18.4 PPG with 4.8 APG and 3.8 RPG in 29 games.  Golden State's roster now stands at 19.

Warriors Sign Stefhon Hannah

The Warriors have maxed out their training camp roster, signing Stefhon Hannah to fill the team's 20th roster spot. Golden State formally announced the signing today via a team release.

Hannah, 27, played for the Bucks' summer league squad in Las Vegas earlier this summer after spending last season with the Warriors' D-League affiliate. Hannah helped lead the Dakota Wizards to a postseason berth, averaging 18.4 PPG and earning D-League Defensive Player of the Year honors. The 6'1" guard out of Missouri has also played overseas since finishing his college career in 2008.

The Warriors now have five players on fully non-guaranteed contracts, plus Kent Bazemore on a partially-guaranteed deal. While Bazemore would appear to be the frontrunner for the final roster spot based on his partial guarantee, the buyout would only cost the Warriors $25K, so if Hannah or another of the Warriors' non-guaranteed players impresses in camp, they could be in the mix for that 15th roster spot.